Igniter support for a waste wood burner

ABSTRACT

A support for an oil fired igniter unit mounted within the wall of a waste wood burner. The support includes pivot means supporting the elongate igniter for horizontal swinging movement and further includes roller means permitting inward and outward positioning of the igniter unit for efficiency purposes while permitting retraction of the igniter unit during formation of the waste pile.

nited States Patent 1191 Wing Jan. 1, 1974 [54] IGNITER SUPPORT FOR A WASTE WOOD 3,669,039 6/1972 Leman 110/18 R BURNER FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [75] Inventor: Aubrey wing sprmgfield Oreg- 862,063 3/1961 Great Britain 110/1 F [73] Assignee: Industrial Construction Company,

Inc., Eugene, Oreg. Primary Examiner-Edward G. Favors [22] Filed Jan 17 1973 Attorney.lames D. Givnan, Jr.

[21] Appl. No.: 324,497 ABSTRACT [52] U 5 Cl 0/1 F 0/18 R 431/189 A support for an oil fired igniter unit mounted within [51 1 i 7/00 the wall of a waste wood burner. The support includes [58] Fie'ld ASE 189 pivot means supporting the elongate igniter for hori- I 0/1 F l8 zontal swinging movement and further includes roller means permitting inward and outward positioning of [56] References Cited the igniter unit for efficiency purposes while permitting retraction of the igniter unit during formation of UNITED STATES PATENTS the waste pile 2,336,269 l2/l943 Luellen 431/189 2.931.428 4/1960 Dunlap 431/189 5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENIED JAN 1 I974 SHEET 3 BF 3 1 IGNITER SUPPORT FOR A WASTE WOOD BURNER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention concerns a support for an igniter unit positionably mounting same within the wall of a burner and now U.S. Pat. 3,730,114 structure of the type shown and described in my co-pending U. S. Pat. application Ser. No. 229,971 filed Feb. 28, 1972 and entitled Control System for a Waste Wood Burner and now U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,114.

For many years it has been common practice to burn waste resulting from mill operations within large burner structures of conical shape. Such burners because of their shape have been termed by the public wigwam" or teepee" burners. Mill waste is discharged by conveyer means into the upper end of the burner structure resulting in the formation of a waste pile or mound within a burner structure.

During a work shift scrap wood, bark and sawdust is fed into the burner and disposed upon the burning pile. The waste pile is ignited at the start ofa days operations only after it is several feet in height with some waste pieces of wood being of substantial size. Since the introduction of igniter unit shown and described in the above-mentioned patent, it has been determined that positionably mounting the igniters increases their efficiency by allowing the igniter to be positioned according to the size of the changing waste pile. Further, in the forming of a large waste pile, retraction of the elongate igniter avoids the risk of damage to same from conveyor discharged pieces of wood waste.

The desirability of the igniters in conjunction with other emission reducing components is elaborated upon in the above-mentioned patent with a primary objective of the apparatus being the reduction of emissions from wood waste burners. In a number of states burners not meeting emission standards subject the mill owner to fines and/or the shutting down of the waste burner resulting in the costly trucking of waste from the mill to a disposal site. The present invention contributes further to burning of mill waste in an efficient manner to further reduce undesirable emissions from the waste burner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION the open member of the support toward and away from the burn pile with additional positioning being about the supports vertical axis. A segment of the igniter conduit is at all times in supported engagement with the supports open member. Accordingly, the igniters, although ofconsiderable size and weight, may be readily positioned manually to achieve most efficient combustion of the waste pile.

Important objects of the present invention include the mounting of an igniter for discharge of its flame pattern at desired locations within a burner structure. As the diameter of a burn pile is subject to wide variation the igniter may be adjusted to discharge its flame pattern best suited to pile size. By the most efficient application of the igniter flame, emissions resulting from burn pile combustion may be lowered. As earlier mentioned,.waste burners at mill sites are subjective to operation within specific emission limits with substantial fines and/or closing down of the burner being possible in cases where a burner exceeds said emission limits. Toward this end the igniter and their supports may be incorporated into a burner structure including additional apparatus for controlling internal burner temperatures.

Additional objectives include the provision of an igniter support readily adapted to existing burner structures without costly modification thereof. The igniter support is secured to existing structural members of the burner with an opening being required in the burner wall to permit movement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a waste wood burner with the positionable igniter and support in place thereon,

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational view of the support for the igniter, taken along line 2-'2 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view taken from the left hand end of FIG. 2,

FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 schematically illustrate different positions of an igniter unit permitted by the present support, and

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of an igniter unit removed from the present support.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With continuing reference to the accompanying drawing wherein applied reference numeral indicate parts similarly identified in the following specification, the reference numeral 1 indicates generally a waste wood burner structure hereinafter termed burner structure, typically located adjacent a mill site.

Burner structures are of conical shape, several feet in diameter at their base with their upper end closed by a dome shaped screen enclosure 2 which restricts dis charge of burning particulate. A conveyer at 3 from the adjacent mill continually discharges waste wood in solid or sawdust form into the burner for deposit upon a waste pile WP form upon the burner base 5.

The present invention to be described is preferably combined with the control system described and claimed in my co-pending patent application above noted and now U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,114. Said application discloses stationary igniter units, blowers, temperature sensing means, damper doors and signal produc ing means responsive to burner temperatures for controlling the foregoing components to achieve optimum burner operating temperatures. While the present invention is best used in conjunction with the foregoing system components, an understanding of said system is not necessary to present purposes and hence is dispensed with.

An igniter unit is indicated generally at circumferentially spaced on the burner structure from like igniter units. The evenly spaced igniter units 10 are positionably supported by igniter supports generally at 11 in secured attachment to the burner structure 1 all being of like construction thereby permitting the following description of one to be equally applicable to all.

With continuing attention to an igniter support 11, the same includes a supporting framework comprising parallel channel members 12 in welded attachment to burner structural members 5. Spacers 13 intermediate the channels reinforce same, while diagonal braces 14 complete the attachment of the framework to the burner.

Swingably mounted intermediate channel members 12 and spacers 13 is an open cylindrical member 15 within which is supported a segment of an igniter conduit 16. Integral with cylindrical member 15 are welded channel sections 17 and 18 extending substantially the length of said member with each channel section 17,18 having its web 17A, 18A in bearing contact with like portions of channel members 12.

Constituting vertical pivot means normal to the major axis of open member 15 are a pair of collars 19 extending through corresponding apertures 12A in channel members 12. Bolt members 20 extend through said collars and through the webs 17A, 18A of the upper and lower channel sections 17, 18 to thereat receive nut elements 21. Accordingly open member 15 is mounted for arcuate movement about a vertical pivot co-axial with bolts 20.

To allow positioning of the igniter conduit in an extensible manner, cylindrical member 15 and the inte gral lengthwise extending channel sections 17 and 18 include roller means for supporting contact with the igniter conduit wall. Upper channel section 17 carries end mounted rollers 22 each in rolling contact with the web 23A of an inverted channel 23 welded along the length of igniter conduit 16. Accordingly a trackway is provided for rollers 22 with inverted channel 23 additionally serving to reinforce the elongate igniter conduit against bending loads. Supporting the lower semicircular position of the igniter conduit are a pair of inclined rollers 24 each journalled within bosses 25 carried by cylindrical member 15. A pair of cut-out areas 15A permits roller disposition so 'as to rotatably support igniter conduit 16 concentric with open member 15. Cooperating with rollers 24 is an additional roller 26 mounted at the opposite end of lower channel section 18 with roller 26 also supporting the igniter conduit concentrically within member 15.

The above described rollers rotatably engage the igniter conduit 16 and the inverted channel 23 thereon to at all times permit unrestricted axial movement of the igniter relative to cylindrical member 15. The foregoing is true regardless of the igniter conduit being of considerable length as viewed in FIG. 1 and supported in a cantilevered manner by member 15 and its associated rollers. To prevent undesirable axial movement of the igniter conduit within member 15, a lock 27 is in threaded engagement with a boss-28 and terminates at its inner end in biased contact with conduit wall 16. With attention to FIG. 3, a channel 29 is secured along the inner wall of open member 15 with the channel flanges slidably receiving the conduit affixed channel 23 to prevent rotational movementof the conduit 16 relative to its holder 15.

With attention to FIG. 8 showing an igniter unit removed from its support, the same includes a centrifugal fan 30 powered by a motor 31 with the fan discharging tangentially into igniter conduit 16. Each igniter unit includes a damper plate 32 positioned by an air cylinder 33, the latter pivotally mounted at its base end by a bracket 34. A solenoid valve 35 directs pressurized air from a remote source to either end of cylinder 33 for open and closing movement of damper plate 32 in accordance with the igniter description in the abovementioned co-pending patent application.

With continuing regard to the igniter unit, an adapter 36 terminates down stream in a circular end for communication with one end of the igniter conduit. A pair of insulated igniter wires 37 are in contact with a pair of metal rods constituting a pair of igniter leads 39 insulated at 45. A transformer 38 provides the desired voltage to the igniter leads to cause arcing therebetween during igniter operation. An oil supply line at 40 carries a pressurized flow of oil and is controlled by a solenoid operated valve 41 with the oil being discharged in an atomized state by means of spaced apart nozzles 42. The ignition leads 39 and oil line 40 are supported internally of conduit 16 by means of longitudinally spaced apart spiders having leg members 43 resting on the conduit wall. To impart a helical component to the conduit flow of air, lightweight aluminum castings at 44 each have blade-like projections and are positioned at intervals along the leads 39 and oil line 40. In operation the igniter conduits located about the burner structure are retracted during formation of a burn pile primarily to avoid risk of damage to said conduit by sizable slabs of waste wood falling from the conveyor 3. Upon the waste pile reaching the height and diameter desired, each igniter is moved inwardly to a location substantially tangent to the burn pile with the inner end of the conduit a few feet from the pile as schematically viewed in FIG. 6 wherein the single igniter and support are typical of other like components not shown. Ignition and burning of the waste pile may result in the burn pile being drastically reduced in size whereupon optimum placement of the conduit end would be as viewed in FIG. 7 wherein the conduit has been rotated towards a true radial position and extended inwardly into the burner.

While I have shown but one embodiment of the invention it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied still otherwise without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is desired to be secured under a Letters Patent is:

1. An igniter support in combination with an igniter unit for a waste wood burner structure, said igniter including elongate conduit for directing a pressurized flow of air past igniter nozzle means, said support comprising,

a framework located adjacent the burner structure,

an open member pivotally mounted within said framework for arcuate travel about an upright axis, roller means carried by said open member in supporta ing engagement with a segment of the elongate igniter conduit at longitudinally spaced points therealong, and

said igniter conduit adapted for both arcuate travel about said upright axis and for axial movement through said open ended member to permit opti- 4. The support as claimed in claim 2 wherein said open member is cylindrical shape, other of said roller means are disposed within cut-out areas formed within the cylindrical wall of said open member.

5. The support as claimed in claim 4 additionally including igniter locking means carried by said cylindrical open member for biased contact with the igniter conduit to retain same against axial movement. 

1. An igniter support in combination with an igniter unit for a waste wood burner structure, said igniter including elongate conduit for directing a pressurized flow of air past igniter nozzle means, said support comprising, a framework located adjacent the burner structure, an open member pivotally mounted within said framework for arcuate travel about an upright axis, roller means carried by said open member in supporting engagement with a segment of the elongate igniter conduit at longitudinally spaced points therealong, and said igniter conduit adapted for both arcuate travel about said upright axis and for axial movement through said open ended member to permit optimum positioning of the conduits inner end relative to a waste wood pile to be burned.
 2. The support as claimed in claim 1 wherein some of said roller means are offset from opposite ends of said open member for purposes of igniter conduit stability.
 3. The support as claimed in claim 2 wherein some of said roller means bear directly upon the igniter conduit with remaining roller means bearing upon an igniter conduit reinforcing member.
 4. The support as claimed in claim 2 wherein said open member is cylindrical shape, other of said roller means are disposed within cut-out areas formed within the cylindrical wall of said open member.
 5. The support as claimed in claim 4 additionally including igniter locking means carried by said cylindrical open member for biased contact with the igniter conduit to retain same against axial movement. 